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wins and losses in 2021, Clifford's path along that trajectory will have to con- tinue. –Nate Bauer 2 How will PSU approach the transfer portal as it seeks to build depth at quarterback? To me, this is easily the biggest story- line of the spring. Even before Bowens decided to go to Oklahoma and Levis left for Kentucky, fans had been clamoring for Franklin and his staff to address the quarterback position. All you need to do is run a few searches on Twitter or go read a Penn State message board to know that fans have serious concerns about the quarterback room. Clifford would be the first to tell you that his 2020 season didn't go as planned. Completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,883 yards and 16 touch- downs is about average for the amount of games played last season, but when you add in the nine interceptions and three fumbles, it's understandable that fans have concerns. However, it's also important to remember that Clifford finished strong. According to Pro Foot- ball Focus, in the Big Ten, only Ohio State's Justin Fields and Nebraska's Adrian Martinez graded out better than Clifford in the second half of the season. Clifford's performances against Michi- gan, Rutgers and Michigan State should give the staff a reason to feel better about the future, but I also think that the de- partures of Levis and Bowens aren't as negative as they may seem. Pursuing a transfer to upgrade the position with all of those players on the roster would have certainly caused changes in the quarter- back room. Penn State can afford to lose a player like Bowens, but it didn't want to risk losing Clifford, regardless of how fans feel after the 2020 season. Now, the Lions have to pursue someone for depth reasons, making it a much easier sell to guys already on the roster. Of course, the question everyone wants to know is, who will Penn State bring in? Over the past couple of months, the coaches have done their re- search and even contacted a few poten- tial transfers. Former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough and Ne- braska's Luke McCaffrey are two players we know the Nittany Lion coaching staff had at least preliminary interest in, but ultimately, Franklin and his staff decided not to offer. Shough ended up at Texas Tech, while McCaffrey will play at Louisville next season. One thing that Penn State does have in its favor moving forward is that just about every Division I program should participate in spring practice this sea- son. Solid upperclassmen with playing experience decide to depart every spring for one reason or another, so while the portal may not be deep with talent at the moment, that should change in April and May. What remains to be seen is whether the Lions will be able to find a player who can truly challenge Clifford for the starting position. They'll pursue that player if he comes available, but that's obviously not guaranteed. Only time will tell, but at this point, we don't expect this quarterback room to be full until after spring ball. –Ryan Snyder 3 Which players have the best chance of emerging as break- out stars in 2021? In almost any case, answering this question is going to involve plenty of guesswork and projection based on everything from recruiting ratings to measurables. And while those factors certainly don't do anything to hurt his case for inclu- sion in the answer to this question, ris- ing junior linebacker Brandon Smith offers just that little bit more. His combination of athleticism and speed had Penn State fans salivating when he first arrived on campus in 2019. Remember the crushing hit he made against Idaho during the first game of his collegiate career? That Brandon Smith is in there somewhere. The Lions just need him to show it more consistently. Certainly, it must be said that he didn't have a perfect season last year when he started all nine of the games the Nittany Lions played. If he did, we wouldn't be talking about him here. But he did show flashes, despite being young and playing in a linebacker corps that thoroughly underperformed expec- tations as a group after Micah Parsons' decision to opt out of the season. Moving into his junior season, Smith is fully capable of living up to his potential. Looking elsewhere, there are still plenty of names that jump out. Both of the graduate transfers Penn State brought in on the defensive line – Arnold Ebiketie from Temple and Der- rick Tangelo from Duke – seem like they'll have more than enough opportu- nities to prove they can make an impact. Staying on defense, Joey Porter Jr. looks like a solid breakout candidate for many of the same reasons as Smith. His length and physicality at the cornerback position have already made him a solid defender against the run. If he can just improve his cover skills a bit, the Nit- tany Lions could have a star on their hands. On offense, where Penn State returns a lot of its talent, especially at the skill po- sitions, there's one name that stands out: Theo Johnson. The true freshman tight end saw per- haps a bit more action than he expected after Pat Freiermuth's season was cut short due to an injury. Splitting time with Brenton Strange, Johnson appeared in seven games, making four receptions for 56 yards. And while the impact Johnson made in the passing game was a nice bonus, the aspect of his game that stuck out the most was his run-blocking ability. At 6- foot-6, 254 pounds, he already has the strength needed to move opposition linemen around – and he's only getting better. "He's looked great through winter workouts so far – you know, a big, long, strong guy who can run and really do some explosive things," Howle said. "I'm really excited about him. He's learned >>

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